Training resources for moving education to the Cloud – the Microsoft Partner Network

There’s a new set of Cloud resources on the Microsoft Partner Network to help education partners plan their business strategy as they move to the Cloud. They include an overview of the strategic decisions that partners and customers face, along with customer case studies of early adopters.

These resources focus on Windows Azure, which means it will be most useful to independent software developers considering strategies for application migrations, and systems integrators who provide infrastructure services for education establishments.

Note, you’ll need your Live ID login to view these resources

Migrating Education applications to the Cloud

The Introduction Guide ‘Connect to the Cloud: Targeting Public Sector Applications for Windows Azure’ is the place to start, as it includes an analysis of the typical costs for migrating applications into the Cloud (whether this is your own, or customers’ applications), and also addresses some of the key data security, privacy and sovereignty issues (and strategies for managing these issues through private and public clouds), and then goes on to describe some of the likely priority scenarios that you might consider for using the Windows Azure cloud:

Custom application development

Database migration, to increase their availability

Extending SharePoint into the public Cloud

Building highly-scalable web sites

Developing applications for devices and mobile users

Scaling social media marketing campaigns

Interactive Cloud training for Public Sector Partners

There are four separate training modules available, or you can use the link at the bottom for the home page for all of the courses.

Getting Started with the Cloud for Public Sector Partners Appropriate for managers and sales roles, this course clarifies cloud computing terminology, provides a graphic structure of Microsoft Cloud Services offerings and key differentiators, and highlights how cloud services address Public Sector industry needs. It looks at Public Sector business opportunities available to partners, and also addresses the approach to data privacy, data security, and data sovereignty of particular interest to Public Sector customers.

Microsoft Software as a Service (SaaS) Solutions for Public Sector Partners This course introduces the key Microsoft SaaS solutions, including the Office 365, Windows Intune, and the partner-hosted Information Worker solutions. Sample solutions aligned to Microsoft’s industry solution areas are shown, as well as successful case studies along with steps and resources for building specific solution expertise.

Microsoft Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) Solutions for Public Sector CustomersThis course introduces the Microsoft Hyper-V™ Cloud, including the unique features and competitive advantages; the advantages it provides related to data privacy, data security, and data sovereignty for Public Sector customers; and successful deployment examples for both customers and partners. This course also includes steps and resources for building private cloud expertise